Conventional frostless-type refrigerators utilize forced refrigerated air flow to cool fresh food and freezer compartments. An electric fan draws refrigerated air across an evaporator coil, with most of the air being forced into the freezer compartment and then returned to the evaporator. Some of the refrigerated air is delivered to the fresh food compartment through an air inlet opening therein. A damper may be provided at the air inlet opening that is typically located at the upper central portion of a rear wall in the fresh food compartment. Suitable air return openings are provided for returning air from the fresh food compartment to the evaporator.
A refrigeration apparatus in one known form comprises a refrigerator/freezer having a bottom mount freezer. Particularly, a separator or divider including a rigid body of insulation sandwiched between a top wall and a bottom wall, each of plastic or metal, separates the two compartments. The air return opening is provided through the separator, usually at a rear corner. Thus, while air may freely circulate through the fresh food compartment, the most direct path from the inlet to the return is along the back wall of the fresh food compartment.
A typical refrigeration apparatus includes storage pans, often called crisper pans, slidably mounted at the bottom of the fresh food compartment. Thus, they are spaced a very short distance above the separator. With a bottom mount unit, the temperature below the crisper pans can be quite cold due to proximity to the freezer compartment. This problem is typically solved by adding a foil heater between the separator insulation and top wall or by increasing insulation thickness. Such a heater increases energy costs, both for running the heater itself and the increased time which the compressor must be run to compensate for added heat.
The present invention overcomes the above problems of prior refrigeration apparatus, in a novel and simple manner.